Improvement in scythe-tastenings



references thereof.

UNITED STATESv ATENT Ferca.

sus. LAMSON, or -SnnL'BUnNE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS,

lM PROVEM ENT'lN SCYTHTFASTENINGS.'

Specilicntion forming part of Letters Patent No.. 8,003, dated March 25', 111451.

.new or Improved Mode of Connecting a Scythe- Blade to a Snath; and I do hereby declare that the saine is fully described 'and represented in the following specification and accompanying drawings, letters, tignres, and

0f the said drawings,.Figure 1- represents afto'pfview of a portin otfanscythe-snnth and the scytheblade as. connected thereto. Fig.

` 2 is a. side elevation ot the saine. 4 Fig.v 3 is a cross-section taken through the middle part ofthe contrivance which contines the extreme part'ot the 4shank ot' a scythe to the snath. vFigi 4 is aside view ci' the ejeboitnsedfor' confining such part of the shank to the. snath. Eig; 5 `is atop view of a portion ot the Scytheblade and the snath, exhibiting similar means of confining them together, although nn'der a somewhat different form or construction, as will be hereinafter described. Fig. 6 is a side viewof` that which is represented by Fig. 5.

Fi g. 7 is a. side view of the eyebolt represented in'the last figures. Fig. S is a cross-section of the scythe-snath and confining contrivance at the lower end of the snath, as exhibited in Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a cross-section of the soy-thesnath and confining` contrivance at the lower end of the snath, as exhibited in Fig. 1.

In said figures A represents the snath,-B

the blade'ot' ascythe, and C the shank of said blade.

The common method of making the shank is to form it with asquare or other proper shaped projection at its end, which projection is .made to stand at right angles from the shank, and when the shank is confined to the snath such projection is made to enter a recess made to receive it in the snath, which recess is usually formed either in the wood itself| orin a piece of metal let into the wood, which piece of metal or recess is sometimes provided with one or more slides, by means of which the shank may be varied in its position. Such method of constructing and fastening the extreme end of the shank is well known and in' common use, and is generally termed Clapps method.

Although advantageous in some respects, the use of a projection .from the shank, as

above described, is generally attended with a serious inconvenience and loss to the owner ot' 'a scythe, as in consequence ot' the great strain which is constantly brought to bear upon the said projection during the operation of mowing the-projection is caused to either splitor seriously endanger the wood or snath, and

this is not prevented to any great extent when a metallic socket or recess screwed orlet into the wood isused to receive said projection.

As Scythe-blades are generally made by persons who are not engaged in the manufacture of the woods or snaths, it has been customary to manufacture all or most oi'. them with the projection on their Shanks. ln consequence thereof snchscytbe-blades being universally in the market, the scythe-snath makers have been compelled'. to adopt a inode olf-securing I the blade such as would be adaptable 4to its peculiar shank and projection thereof. I propose, however, to make the shank of the Scytheblades somewhat different in construction, and to make and apply to 'the s nath the contriv- 'ance or contrivances for holding the'shank in position in a mannerdiii'eient from what they have heretofore been made. ln the first place,

I make the lower endol' the snath square, rectangular, or polygonal in its cross-section, (preferring always the square form,)` and I make such snath tapering for about tive inches from its lowerend, the smallest part being at the lower end, the same being as represented in the drawings. On the said tapering part of the snath I place and closely iit two metal lic collars, EF, the latter one, F, being made so much larger in size than the former one, E, as to be capable of beingslipped or passed over it, and either vfitted to its place on the snath or removed therefrom after the smaller collar has been fixed in place upon the snath, it being understood that the taper ofthe snath should be suiiicient to adapt it to the collars under such circumstances. In placing these coilars upon the snath, it is customary to do so immediately after the process ot' kiln-drying has been effected, and this in order that they may not be loosened by subsequent shrinkage of the wood. Bot-h collars should be formed With tiat surfaces or beds for the Shanks to rest upon. The method of confining the shank down upon the collar at the heel of the shank may be either by a screw-bolt, a, and nut b passing through it and the collar and snath,

as seen lin Fig. 9, or hymeansof a staple;r G, and screw-nuts d e, as seen at Fig. 8,: the said staple being made to extend or clasp around the shank near the heel and pass' through its metalliecollar and the wood of the sn'ath..

\ The extreme part ofthe shank, or-that partj which rests directly upon the collar' F or flat surface of said collar, is a square or other proper shaped elongation, the square 4formhein'g generally' considered the best, and it is made iso as to he capable ot' Vbeing passedl into or through any one of the holesj of an eyebolt, H, which eyebolt-is constructed, and has its eye or eyes, hole orlholes, ff arranged with respect tothe axis of the holt as seen in Fig. 3-that is to say, one of saidholes is disposed n'ot directly in the line-of the axis q of the eyebolt, but is placed aside of ita short distance. lThe next hole, or that on theopposite side of the axis, is arranged at double that distance from the axis, or is at a greater distance therefrom, as seen in the drawings. By turning the head ofthe eyebolt around one hundred and eighty degrees we reverse the positions of the holesT-that is to say, that hole which was previously on the right of the axis will be brought on the left of it, while that which is on the left will he brought on the right of it. Therefore, by such arrangement .of the two" holes, we are enabled to secure four different positions for theshank of the scythe, so that according to the position of the head of the eyeholt and the holes of the same through whichwe pass the shank we may vary or change the angle ot' position ot' the block to the snath. The head of the eyebolt is let down into its collar E, which is cutout to re'- ceive it. and in such manner as to allow the npper surface of the eye ot' the-eyebolt to be drawn closely down upon. the shankand to press said shank upon its seat on the collar, whenever thc screw-nut t' on the lower end of the eyebolt is sutiiciently screwed upon the hol-t, and against the lower side of the collar.

In Figs. 5, 6, and 7 the eyeholt is represented as having but one hole in it for the reception of the shank, which hole is placed or arranged aside of the axis ofthe bolt` so as to secure a second position for the shank when said'bolt or its head is turned around one hun-- dred and eighty degrees. The Ycollar E incloses and `firmly clasps the 4.wood and prevents itfro'in being split.

As the head ot' the eyeholt, as well as the shank thereof, rests in and against the metallic collar, the strain on the shank during the opera-tion of mowing is not brought to hear directly upon the wood, as it is hy the ordinary construction and application of the shank, as herein iirst described, but is received directly through the holt-head, and upon and counteract'ed by the metallic collar inclosing the wood. In the above it will be seen that the metallic collar serves in a great measure to support the end of the shank.

I claim- The arrangement of the hole or'holes ff of the head of the confining-clasp in such manner with respect to the axis g of the screw H that when the said screw is turned one hundred and eighty degrees the position or positions ofthe samei. e., the hole or holes-may be changed in such a manner as to secure one or more new and different positions for the shank, the same being for the purpose as specitied. I

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my signature this 12th day of October,A.'D. 1850.A

NATHANIEL LAMSON.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS GoULD, R. H. EDDY. 

